Power transmission



July 16, 1929. L.. TRENTO POWER TRANSMISSION Filed July 3, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet mvENToR Leonardo wfo WITNESSES ATTORNEY v July 16, 1929. L. TRENTO PowEn TRANSMISSION Filed July 3, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q. MN ,KN wm .1. n QQN N NN S QN w N N MWI..- -um E \\\\\\\\\\\.\m\\\\ .5 w\

wlT ssEs m7@ A. w mm E Patented July 16, 1929.

UNITED/STATES LEONARDO TRENTO, OF 'ARDSLEY-ON-PUTNAM, YORK.

rownn' TRANSMISSION.

iippiicaaon sica Juiy 3, 192s. seriai N o. 290,053.

This invention i'elatesto power transmission and contempla-tes animproved reversible power transmission for road, air or shaft 'section 18 on the drive shafts ad- `jacent eac-h driven shaft, which tubular water vehicles. v

The invention primarily compreliends a power transmission by virtue of whichI power may be separately transmitted from one or more prime movers to wheels, pro-` pelleis, or other propelling devices on the' 20. The opposite ends of the tubular shaft opposite sides or ends ofthe vehicle.

As a further object. the invention resides in a power transmission which includes a novel shifting mechanism by means'of which the propelling` devices may be independently coupled withy the source of power for fo rward or reverse drive, or rendered inactive or neutral at will. f

Other objects reside in the. comparative simplicity of construction and inode of Voper-l ation of the device and economy with which the saine may be produced and the general elliciency derived therefrom.

lV ith the above recited and other objects in view, reference is had to the following description and accompanying drawings, iii which there are exhibited several examples or embodiments ofthe invention, while the ap' peiidcd claims denne the actual scope ofthe invention.. In the drawings-e` Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken approximately on the line indicated at 1-1 of Fig. 4. j

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 isa fraginentaryplan view.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional plan view of a slightly modified form of the inveiition.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional plan view illustrating an application of the invcntion to a boat. i

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference 10 and 11 designate respectively a pair of prime movers or motors and 12 and 13 drive shafts which are operatively connected with the prime movers or motors. A plurality of driven shafts 14 and 15 are adapted to be driven from the drive shaft 12 and a plurality of driven shafts 16 and 17 are adapted to be driven from the drive shaft 13. The means for transmitting the power separately to the driven shafts from the 'drive shafts in opposite directions, or to render the driven shafts independently inoperative, consists in providing a tubular shaft section isleyeclthcreto for turning movement therewith and slidable axially on the shaft. `.'l`his connection is preferably established by means of a slot 19 and a pin section 18 have secured thereto beveled pinions`21 and 22 which are' designed to be selectively moved into mesh with a beveled gear 23 on the driven shafts 14, 15, 16 or 17. Froin this construction and arrangement it .is` obvious that when the shaft section 18 is, `disposed in an intermediate position "whereby the pinioiis 21 and 22 are b'oth'out y The mechanism for shifting the shaft section 18 and its pinions21 and 22 comprises a Slidable element or bar 25 which is pro- .vided with depending shift fingers 26 and 27 engageable with the opposite ends of the shaft section 18. The shift bar 25 is provided with aii upstandiiig rigid handle 28 for manipulating the same and has projecting therethrough a latch 29 having an angularly .disposed terminal 30. "The opposite tating and sliding the latch. A stationary member 32 is provided with upstanding projeetions 33. 34, 35 and 36 between adjacent pairs of which the latch element 29 is engageable to hold the shift bar 25 in its three positions. Then the latch is engaged between the projections 33 and 34, the pinion 22 is in mesh with the gear 23 and the driven shaft is driven in one direction. lVhen the latch element 29 is engaged between the projections 35 and 36, the pinion 21 is in mesh with the gear 23 to drive the driven shaft in the opposite direction. Vhen the latch bolt 29 is disposed between the projections 34 and 35, the pinions 21 and 22 are both out of mesh with the gear 23 so that the driven `Shaft is in a neutral or inactive posid tion. By rotating the latch bolt 29 on its axis tliifeiigli the means 3i, the terminal 8G engages with one of theprojections to prevent laxiali movement orf iinlatcliing. .of the shift bar. y

In practice, preferably two motors or prime movers- -will be employed as `illustrated in Fig. 4. In this instance the driven shafts 14 and 15 on one side or end ofthe 'device may be driven in opposite directions...in unison, while the driven shafts 16 and 17 may be :driven independentlyand .in opposite directions or in unison.

j In some instances, however, a single prime mover or .motor 1'()a lmay beemployed to drive.- botli shafts 1Qa ,aiid,13, .and 3in this 15.instance a gear 37 =on .the shaft 12 will'imesh witliavgear-SS on the shaft 131.

. .As illustrated ,iii Figure 6' of the draw- .:iiigs,the shafts 12b and 13", ivhicliv are operi-atively connected withl the prime movers or 20 motors v(not shown)7 extend 'through the stern of the boatandfare provided with screw .propellei's `land 13e. eTlie driven shafts :15band 17" are providednvitlrscrew propelleis.l5c and .17. .'llhe ,power transmitting 4means. is identical witlr that shown and .described in the other figures and it is obvi- -ousl from this'constriiction :that the propelleis 12c andlc` may. be driven :in `unison or independently while the propelleis: 15C. and 17 V.may be :driven in .unison or independently in reverse directions.

. lI=claiim:

.1. A gear shiftingdevice.including a shift bar having a rigid handle and detent means .forfretaining the shift bar in shifted rela- .tion,.comprising upstanding projections on stationary nieniber,.and.a slidable and rotarylatcli element having an angular termi- .,nal inovablertoA a position between an -ad- .jacent ,pair of. projections selectively.

.2. Ina gear shifting device,.:a. slidable shift bar .having .means.engageable with the .gear to be shifted, aliaiidle rigidly connected ,lwitli the shiltbar andmeaiis.forgauging .the shifted positions of the A gear and. for retaining the same in said shifted'positions comprising astationary keeper having a plurality of keeper openings spaced coincident to the path of movement of the shift bar vand -a la-tehlelement carried by the handle andprovided with an angularly disposed terminal, said latch element being sliiftable transversely tothe path of movement of the shift bar and rotatable, whereby the same may. .be selectively engaged with the keeper openingsof the keeper.

3. In a lgear shifting device, a longitudinally slidable shift bar operatively associated with the gear to be shifted, a rigid handle connected with the shift bai' and .detent .means for retaining the shift bar .in longitudinallyshifted vpositions comprising longitudinally: spaced stationary keepers and a transversely slidable and rotary latch ele- .nient in the handle -foi'ined with an angulaily disposedterminal movable to a .posi tion for selectively engaging the :longitudi- .iially spaced keepers.

-LlQThe combination .with a vbeveled. gea-i' mounted on a transverse shaft .and a pair of reversely arranged beveled pinions splined vtoa longitudinal. shaft, Vofineans for shift- .ing said pinions to selectively .mesh ,with

said gear or to .assume a neutral non-ineslied position with respect thereto, said means including a longitudinally =slidable shift -bai .havingoperative connectionaivith said pin- ,latch element carried Vby said handle for lateral shifting ,movement and rotation to l n E u o position the element selectively between said I projections 4with the angular terminal engaged therebeh-ind.

V,LEONARDO TiiENTo'. 

